Bags to Beds

In Toronto, over 10,000 people experience homelessness, and harsh winters claim many lives each year. At the same time, most of the world’s plastic waste ends up in landfills, taking decades to degrade and polluting our environment.

My project tackles both issues by collecting used plastic bags and repurposing them into durable, waterproof sleeping mats for people without shelter. Using wooden weaving frames that I designed and built, volunteers cut the bags into strips and weave them tightly together, creating mats that offer warmth, dryness, and protection from the cold ground. In less than six months, Bags to Beds has repurposed over 15,000 bags, engaged more than 110 student volunteers, and produced 20 mats.

With IB funding, I hope to expand this initiative by building additional weaving frames, developing a website to raise awareness and coordinate future projects, and growing Bags to Beds to other schools in Toronto. Each mat we create not only provides comfort to someone in need but also helps reduce the environmental impact of plastic waste in our city.